1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a spring manufacturing apparatus capable of manufacturing a spring with good precision, in particular to a spring manufacturing apparatus capable of manufacturing a spring with good precision by moving a processing tool for processing a wire rod to a spring, instead of moving the wire rod feeding unit, in at least one direction of XYZ orthogonal three-axes directions in which a moving region of the wire rod fed from a wire rod feeding unit is represented as a Z axis.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a quill type spring manufacturing apparatus includes a wire rod feeding unit with a wire rod feeding roller for feeding a wire rod, a semi-circular column shaped quill including a guide path for guiding the wire rod fed from the wire rod feeding unit at an axial core portion thereof, and a holding member for holding a processing tool for processing the wire rod fed from a tip of the quill, wherein a coil spring, a torsion spring and the like are formed by bringing the wire rod into contact with the processing tool held by the holding member. In order to form the wire rod into a desired spring shape, the relative position of the quill and the processing tool needs to be accurately adjusted.
A conventional quill type spring manufacturing apparatus is provided with a wire rod feeding unit having a slide member slidably movable in the XYZ orthogonal three-axes directions in which the moving region of the wire rod fed from the wire rod feeding unit is represented as the Z-axis, or in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. The quill type spring manufacturing apparatus adjusts the relative position of the quill and the processing tool by moving the wire rod feeding unit and the quill to process the wire rod (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-95533).
In another conventional quill type spring manufacturing apparatus, a movable member which moves in the XYZ orthogonal three-axes directions is arranged facing the quill. This quill type spring manufacturing apparatus adjusts the relative position of the quill and the processing tool by attaching the processing tool to the movable member and moving the tool, (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-109133).
In another conventional quill type spring manufacturing apparatus, two turrets are respectively arranged on two movable tables which move in the XYZ orthogonal three-axes directions, and a plurality of tool holders for holding the processing tool are radially arranged on the turret (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-61736). This quill type spring manufacturing apparatus has a quill arranged between two movable tables, and the relative position of the processing tool selected by the rotation of the turret and the quill is adjusted by moving the movable table (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-61736).